Pacquiao vs. Marquez 3: Pac-Man Needs Dominant Victory To Secure Legacy

There are not a lot of things that can rattle Manny Pacquiao. He is one of the most mentally strong athletes in sports today, which is why his third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez is so important to his legacy.

Pacquiao has defeated Marquez once before, back in 2008 in a close split decision. In the three years since that bout, he has evolved into one of the most dominant boxers that many of us have ever seen. It’s been six years since he has lost a fight, but his transformation really came to a head in the fight against Marquez.

Now, with a chance to atone for the only close call that he has had in that time, Pacquiao will be looking for blood early and often in this fight.

From Tim Smith of the New York Daily News:

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Marquez won't have to look for Pacquiao, who likes to stand toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring. Pacquiao also is looking to prove something against Marquez. He said he has taken it personally that Marquez has been walking around saying that he won both of their meetings. The first fight was declared a draw after Marquez survived three knockdowns in the first round.

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Pacquiao’s legacy is not going to be made if he wins this fight, but it can take a huge hit if he is not able to defeat the one boxer that has given him fits since he has become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

But even a victory won’t be good enough. Pacquiao has to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he is the better fighter. We have seen him get a victory against Marquez before, so another close call doesn’t prove anything.

Marquez is not just another name that is being thrown in Pacquiao’s direction for some kind of big payday. He knows how to fight him better than anyone else in the sport today. The question is if he is still fast enough to execute his game plan.

Pacquiao has more to gain with this one fight than in his previous seven combined. Fans and analysts already consider him to be the best boxer in the world. Now, he has to go out and prove it against the one fighter that has given him problems.